Chapter 15: Master Lu is Really Abnormal

What? Catching an adulteress? And catching me, Commander Lu?
The amount of information in that sentence almost knocked Commander Qi off balance.

“…” Lu Shiyan didn’t say anything, only raised an eyebrow at Lin Qinghai.
Lin Qinghai braced himself and continued, “It was my fiancée—she did something to betray me. I… I’m sorry, I really am, it was my fault, I went into the wrong room. Commander Lu, please don’t take it personally.”

“Qinghai,” Commander Qi felt a bit awkward—there was no need to repeat something like getting cuckolded so many times. He’d just opened his mouth when Lu Shiyan’s deep, magnetic chuckle cut through.

“Heh,” Lu Shiyan’s eyes relaxed, the corners of his lips carrying a faint sneer.
“Catching your own fiancée in the act? I’ve never seen someone so eager to put a green hat on their own head. Commander Qi often praises you in front of me—you truly are one of a kind.”

Lin Qinghai: “…”
Every word was laced with thorns.

Sure, Lu Shiyan was a division commander, but wasn’t he being a bit petty?
Lin Qinghai frowned deeply. “Commander Lu, this is my personal matter.”

“Did you catch them?” Lu Shiyan seemed to ignore him entirely and asked on his own.

Lin Qinghai: “N… No.”

“If you didn’t catch them, then how can you say your fiancée betrayed you?” Lu Shiyan pressed on evenly.

“She…” Lin Qinghai was at a loss for words. Why did it seem like Lu Shiyan was taking Gu Jinshu’s side?
But no—on second thought, they’d never even met. Lu Shiyan was just mad about him barging into the wrong room last time.

Commander Qi sensed something was off too. Since when did Commander Lu care about his subordinates’ personal lives?

“Qinghai, maybe there’s some misunderstanding here. Since she was your fiancée, I assume you two were already at the stage of discussing marriage. Why not sit down and talk it through?” Commander Qi tried to mediate. After all, it’s said—better to tear down ten temples than break up one marriage.

Lin Qinghai was just about to badmouth Gu Jinshu when Lu Shiyan cut him off, eyes sharp as they shot toward Commander Qi.
“What’s it to you?”

Commander Qi: “…”
Well, it was obviously nothing to him—but was it something to Lu Shiyan? This was all getting strange.

“Is she still your fiancée now?” Lu Shiyan asked Lin Qinghai.

Lin Qinghai shook his head. “No.”

“Oh? Qinghai, in that case, since you’ve already broken off the engagement, I’ll just cancel your marriage application then,” Commander Qi said.

Lin Qinghai gritted his teeth. “Commander, the person I’m marrying is not my… ex-fiancée. It’s someone else.”

“Huh?” Commander Qi was completely bewildered now. Someone else?!
Hadn’t the whole catching an adulteress in Commander Lu’s room thing happened just a few days ago? She was still his fiancée then, so how had she now become an ex-fiancée, and he was marrying another woman already?

A glint of amusement flickered in Lu Shiyan’s eyes as he waited for Lin Qinghai to “explain.”

Lin Qinghai clumsily tried to gloss it over. “After I broke up with my ex-fiancée, I met my true love.”

“Ohhh, I see. Your peach blossom luck is really something,” Commander Qi teased, patting Lin Qinghai on the shoulder.

“…” Lin Qinghai awkwardly forced a stiff smile. “Commander Lu, Commander Qi, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

“Alright, go on then,” Commander Qi waved him off, thinking nothing of it.

Lu Shiyan’s gaze darkened slightly.

“Changing wives one after another… When are you going to settle your own marriage?” Commander Qi said casually.

“Soon,” Lu Shiyan replied, picking up the file on the table. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he instructed,
“Approve Lin Qinghai’s marriage application as soon as possible.”

Commander Qi blinked. “Huh?”
Had he just heard that right? Normally, if the topic was anyone’s romantic affairs, Lu Shiyan would either ignore it or shoot him down—but today he’d said “soon”?

When a man starts acting out of character, there’s usually only one reason—he’s in love.

Commander Qi grinned. “Commander Lu, looks like I’ll be drinking your wedding wine soon?”

Lu Shiyan gave a quiet “Mm” and nodded. “Soon.”

Commander Qi: ヽ( ° ▽°)ノ!!!

——

Lin Qinghai was determined to win first place in the military competition—if for no other reason than the prize money of one hundred yuan.
The moment he got it, he planned to send it home.

But before he even reached the post office, he ran into Gu Chuxue and Lin Jinxiu halfway.

“Hey? Lin Qinghai, you’re about to marry our Chuxue, but you’re like a dragon—showing your head but never your tail. Even the wedding photos, I had to go with Chuxue to look at them. Is it me marrying her, or you?” Lin Jinxiu teased with a pout.

“Jinxiu, Qinghai-ge is very busy in the army,” Gu Chuxue said shyly, “I understand.”

“Ohhh, listen to you, Chuxue—always taking his side even before you’re married. Once you are married, you won’t even acknowledge me as your friend anymore, will you?” Lin Jinxiu mock-complained, shaking Gu Chuxue’s arm. “You’re just a man-over-friends type!”

“I won’t. You’re both very important to me,” Gu Chuxue said, gripping Lin Jinxiu’s hand—though her eyes were busy exchanging glances with Lin Qinghai.

“Wedding photos?” Lin Qinghai frowned. “We still have to take wedding photos?”

Gu Chuxue nodded lightly. “It’s the trend now. Marriage only happens once—we should take them.”

“That’s right. I even pulled some strings for this—my friend will take your photos personally. He studied photography abroad, you know. Even if you had the money, you couldn’t hire him otherwise. This time, you’re getting a discount—only 99 yuan! Super cheap!” Lin Jinxiu said.

“Ninety-nine?!” Lin Qinghai’s voice held some shock.

It’s just wedding photos—not something you can eat or drink—ninety-nine yuan?!

“Mm, that’s actually a pretty good price,” Gu Chuxue said with a smile. “Qinghai-ge, when will you have time?”

“Chuxue, I really think it’s unnecessary. Even if we take them, they’ll just hang on the wall and collect dust. They’re useless,” Lin Qinghai said, brow furrowing. “Why don’t you think about it a bit more?”

“Hey! What’s there to think about? Who doesn’t take wedding photos these days? If you don’t have the money, Chuxue can pay for it herself—we’re still taking them!” Lin Jinxiu said unhappily, her face dropping. “Lin Qinghai, don’t be such a killjoy, will you? What kind of man doesn’t even have ninety-nine yuan?”

“Jinxiu,” Gu Chuxue quickly grabbed her friend’s arm, signaling her to stop talking.

Lin Qinghai’s expression darkened.
In fact, it wasn’t just his face—his heart was turning cold toward Gu Chuxue as well.
She really was a pampered rich girl—someone he could never truly control.